Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-04-07
The Sensationofa Man Who Gets
Into the Embrace of q Devil

From the New York Sun.
1--WE were lying about half a mile of,
the beach at the Barbados, overhaul
ing the standing rigging" said James
ellis, able seaman, 'when the mate
ordered John Webb an apprentice boy,
and myself into the yawl, which had
been covered and brought around to
port side. that some painting might
be done just abaft the mainmast. 1t
was a terribly hot day, and the water
very warm and the men having little
energy. The paint was lowered down
to us, and while | used the brush the
boy held the yawl in position. We
had been at work for about a quarter
OF an hour when the boy suddenly
yelled out in alright, and as ! turned
to him he declared that he had seen a
Notwithstanding object pass under
the boat, and so on under the ship.
There are plenty OF strange creatures
floating about in those waters, and a
patch OF seaweed will sometimes as
sumo a queer shape. laughed at the
boys fears, but at the same time saw
how pale and frightened he looked.
What's wanted below there?' call.
ed the mate as he leaned overthe rail,
having heard Webb's cry of alarm.
"'l-I saw something go under the
boat sir
"'Oh, you did. Well if you bawI
out again you'll feel something go un.
der your jacket
II began work again, and had been
at it only three or four minutes when
the yawl heaved away from the ship
two or three feet, and at the same in
slant the boy screamed out again.
His voice had scarcely reached my ears
when something flashed before my
eyes, something caught my arm and
pulled it down and pinned it fast to
my body, and III five seconds more
knew what had happened. Adevil fish
had flung one of his arms about me.
Webb vas screaming at the top OF his
voice, and as ! got a look at him, Isaw
that two of the beasts ~feelers were
clutching him. The arm orfeeler which
had reached me pinned my arm to my
side as if in a wise, making a clean
wrap around my body, and the ex-
IRENE end OF the feelsr crept up
along my neck and face. Talk OF pain.
! never ielt anything likeit. The teeth
of a bulldog couldn't have hurt worse.
1t was a burning, biting, b~listering sen
sation, as if a live coalhad been laid on
the flesh. added my yells to those oil
Webb, but before any one came to the
rail was jerked to my knees in the
boat and saw that the creatures OBJ.
lect was to pull me overheard. ]
heard the boy go down and thrash
about, and then three OF the men
came to our assistance.
The devil fish had outwitted him.
self. He had gone under the ship and
fastened to her bottom or keel, and
as oon as he began pulling on us he
OF course pulled the yawl close against
the ships side. That closed the gap.
and he could not pull us overheard,
although / think he would have upset
the yawl, for We were both down on
her starboard side and she was almost
on her beam ends when the men jump
ed down. They began to cut and
slash and hack with their knives, and
after two or three minutes they had
us free-not of the arms, but ol
tine creature. We were hoisted on
board bowling and groaning, with the
feelers still biting, and they had to be
cut from us almost by inches. Webb
got it far worse than / did, as he wore
a thin cotton shirt and was barefoot
ed. He was bitten on one foot, both
hands and across the breast, and it
was a long two weeks before he was on
deck again, his face swelled up until
one eye was closed, and the poison
made me i'll for many days. Wher.
ever one OF the cups or suckers took
hold the skin was entirely taken off,
and it seemed as if pins had been
stuck into the raw flesh. A native
doctor brought me some herbs oil
which to make a poultice, and, though
tGaU relieved the pam and helped me
to get around again. it was months
before my face was entirely well.
1.-The devil-fish minded the loss oil
his three arms for only half an hour,
at the end of which time he clutched
the empty boat, half capsized her, and
swan twice around the ship as a de.
fiance to the crew. Two or three
musket balls were fred into him, and
he sank out of sight to be seen nc
more during our stay"